Sam Raimis Crimewave (1985), co-written with the Coen Brothers, is a slapstick crime comedy about an innocent man framed for murder in a city overrun by eccentric assassins and schemers. Mixing screwball chaos, noir parody, and Raimis hyperactive style, the film flopped on release but has since earned cult status.

Powerhouse films

After the colossal success of The Evil Dead, director Sam Raimi teamed up with the Coen brothers (fresh from Blood Simple) to make his next film, Crimewave, an unusual mixture of screwball comedy, film noir and B-movie homage.

Raimis film tells the bizarre story of a security-system installer, Vic (Reed Birney), who finds himself in the electric chair when he falls in love with Nancy (Sheree J Wilson), a femme fatale on the run from two bumbling exterminators of all sizes (Paul L Smith, Popeye, and Brion James, Blade Runner).

A notoriously troubled production which flopped upon its original release, Crimewave can now be enjoyed as a riotously entertaining showcase for Raimi and the Coens, which also benefits from a highly amusing performance from cult-horror star Bruce Campbell.

Från IMDB:
A pair of whacked-out cartoon-like exterminator/hitmen kill the owner of a burglar-alarm company, and stalk the partner who hired them, his wife, and a nerd framed for the murder, who tells the story in flashback from the electric chair.

INDICATOR STANDARD EDITION SPECIAL FEATURES

High Definition remaster

Four feature presentations: the 87-minute international version with a selection of three alternative titles (Broken Hearts and Noses, The XYZ Murders, and Crimewave); and the 82-minute US theatrical cut

Original mono audio

Audio commentary with actor-producer Bruce Campbell and filmmaker Michael Felsher (2013)

Audio commentary with Sam Raimi expert James Flower (20